• Registration and insurance requirements in the relevant US state or territory

• Other charges such as import processing, customs brokers’, and logistics service provider charges

Select an international car shipping company and preferred import method to transport your vehicle from Norway to the United States

Determine your vehicle’s departure and destination ports

Confirm the vehicle’s undercarriage is clean and free of foreign soil

If you wish to register your vehicle for road use in the United States, your vehicle should bear the International Registration Marker or, if you are a US resident, you will need to register your vehicle with the DMV in your state of residence

More information on the process of importing a vehicle to the United States can be found here.

Determining the Eligibility of Your Vehicle for Import to the United States

As you engage in the vehicle import process, some of the most important questions to consider include:

Whether you are a US citizen, military or civilian employee of the US government, or a nonresident,

Whether you plan to permanently keep the car in the US or if it’s just a temporary move,

Whether the car was manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS, and, if not, whether it is a nonconforming motor vehicle eligible for shipment,

Whether your vehicle was manufactured after September 1, 1978, and

Whether your vehicle is a model year 1987 or later.

Whether your vehicle can be registered in your State.

These questions and more will determine the costs to import the vehicle to the US, whether your car is eligible for import to the United States, and finally, whether you will need to go through additional steps to make your vehicle eligible for import. In some cases, such as temporary import for racing or other purposes, the usual standards may not apply. CFR Rinkens can help you through the process of determining what will be required to import your vehicle.

Conforming vs. Nonconforming Vehicles

Generally, if a vehicle already meets the requirements for import to the United States, it is because that model was originally designed for export and sale in the United States, or was manufactured in the United States for domestic sale. As such, nonconforming vehicles are required to be modified to meet all applicable FMVSS and EPA emissions standards.

Things to Consider

Vehicles more than 21 years old with their original engines may qualify for an EPA exemption.

Vehicles more than 25 years old may qualify for DOT.

All other vehicles must made for the U.S. market and EPA/DOT compliant.

The undercarriage of your car will need to be clean and free of foreign soil. Therefore, you will need to have the exterior of your vehicle steam-sprayed or otherwise thoroughly cleaned before import to the United States.

If your vehicle conforms to these standards, it will bear a manufacturer’s label on the engine compartment attesting to its compliance to emissions standards in English, as well as a certification label near the driver’s side door confirming that it complies to safety, bumper and theft prevention standards. You will need to complete EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7 attesting to your vehicle’s compliance. Additionally, you will need the shipper’s or carrier’s original bill of lading, bill of sale, foreign registration, and other documents covering the vehicle, to be provided to your Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) inspector.

If your vehicle is nonconforming,it may still be eligible for import with modifications by a DOT-registered importer, who modifies the vehicle and certifies that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS and emissions standards. Additionally, the importer must post a bond equivalent to one and a half times the dutiable value of the vehicle (in addition to the normal CBP entry bond). A copy of the bond must be provided with the HS-7 form. The same is applicable for EPA, the list is here:EPA Independent Commercial Importers.

A nonconforming car may be imported from Norway to the United States under certain conditions, such as re-importing a previously exported vehicle, importing a vehicle for personal use not exceeding one year, shipping a vehicle as a member of foreign armed forces, diplomatic personnel, or other exceptions authorized by the US State Department, bringing a vehicle into the country for testing, demonstration, or competition, or other special circumstances. CFR Rinkens can help you identify if your vehicle falls into one of these categories to Import Car from Norway to USA.

Norway to US Car Import Costs & Time Frame

Using a baseline of a compact car being shipped using the roll-on/roll-off method from the Port of Oslo to the Port of Los Angeles, our estimate to Import Car from Norway to USA starts at a cost of $2,000 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 18 – 28 days.

However, the cost to import a car to United States can vary according to factors such as the model and make of your vehicle, your current location, the nearest departure port in Norway, your shipping method of choice, availability of your chosen services and your final destination. Additionally, you’ll need to consider costs such as storage, cleaning, other vendor fees, and American taxes & duties.

Duties are levied by Customs and Border Patrol before your vehicle is delivered; if you are staying in United States and the vehicle is imported concurrently with your arrival in the country, you are permitted to import a car for up to 12 months without having to pay duties.

Taxes & Duties for Importing Cars to the United States

Generally, foreign-made vehicles imported for personal use or sale are dutiable at the following rates:

Auto: 2.5%

Trucks: 25%

Motorcycles: free or 2.4%

Duty rates are based on price paid or payable, and most Canadian-manufactured vehicles are duty-free. If you are a resident of the United States returning to the country from travel, work, or study abroad, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption, and those of accompanying family members, towards the value of the vehicle under the following circumstances:

The vehicle accompanies you on your return

You’ve imported the vehicle for personal use

To obtain an estimate of the cost to import a car to the United States, fill out our free quick quote form. We guarantee a response within 24 hours.

Norway to US Vehicle Import Options

Import Car from Norway to USA can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service.

Roll-On/Roll-Off – Recommended for working vehicles, as your car will be driven onto the shipping vessel and secured for transport in a large cargo area, similar to a parking garage. The only added fees are customs clearance charges, making this our most budget-friendly option.

Shared Container Service – Multiple vehicles are loaded together in one 40ft. container using our industry-leading steel loading system. While there are additional fees compared to our Roll-On/Roll-Off service, you’ll share the added costs of shipping in a secure enclosed cargo container with other vehicle owners. These fees include customs clearance, terminal handling, as well as trucking and unloading charges.

*You might experience a longer wait before your car ships out, as we must wait until the container reaches capacity before shipping. While there might be a longer wait, you’ll have the added security of shipping your vehicle in a fully enclosed container.

Full Container Load – Similar to our shared container service, your vehicle will be shipped in a fully enclosed 20ft container dedicated solely to your car. You’ll have the advantage of not having to wait for container capacity before shipping but won’t be able to share the added costs of terminal handling and unloading charges with other vehicle owners. However, there are many advantages to enclosed container shipping – they offer a high level of security, since they are fully enclosed. Your investment will be protected from the weather and any other damaging elements throughout its journey.

Our shipping specialists will document your vehicle’s condition upon arrival – including the loading process onto the container – with photo documentation which will be available online for your convenience. We utilize an industry-leading steel loading system that doesn’t rely on outdated wood and nails, reducing the risk of damage to your vehicle when loaded into the container.

After your car is loaded and secured, the container door will be locked, and its contents won’t be accessible to anyone until its arrival at the final destination. Since your vehicle will be secured in a fully enclosed container, we invite you to pack and transport additional items inside the vehicle. However, please make sure everything is loaded securely, as we won’t be responsible for loss or damage of any kind.

Once your vehicle arrives at its final destination in the United States, the container will be accessed by our agent, who will once again document the vehicle’s condition and unloading process with photo documentation. In comparison to our Roll-On/Roll-Off Service, container shipping will be more expedient, due to our frequent weekly departures.

Additional Services

Sourcing Vehicles – Take advantage of our many years of experience in the car shipping industry and eliminate the guesswork when buying a car. For a nominal fee, our worldwide network of car buyers are ready to assist overseas clients purchasing vehicles. We can also arrange for expedient and convenient shipping of your new car!

Other Services – Some of the auto transport services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.

Ports Served in the US and Norway

Departure Ports – Norway

The location your vehicle will depart from depends on the method of car transport to the United States, where your vehicle is located, your budget and which services the nearest port offers. Here are the Norway ports we can import your vehicle from:

Aalesund

Arendal

Bergen

Bodø

Brevik

Egersund

Florø

Haugesund

Horten

Fredikstand

Kristianstad

Kristiansund

Langesund

Larvik

Mandal

Moss

Narvik

Oslo

Sandnes

Stavanger

Svelgen

Tromsø

Trondheim

Tvedestrand

Destination Ports – United States

We are able to import into any port in the USA, with CFR facilities in Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Oakland, and Charleston.

Cleaning Your Vehicle’s Undercarriage

Before importing your vehicle to the United States, the undercarriage must be cleaned and free of foreign soil to prevent the introduction of invasive plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. This can be accomplished through steam cleaning or other thorough cleaning methods.

CFR Rinkens can assist with finding an appropriate cleaner to help ensure you comply with this requirement.

We do not recommend washing the interior of the vehicle as it can cause mold during transport. Vacuuming the interior is usually more than sufficient.

Driving Your Vehicle in the United States

Before driving your vehicle in the United States, ensure that both you and your vehicle comply with US licensing and registration laws. Requirements differ based on your citizenship status and the length of your stay in the United States.

Your imported vehicle should bear the International Registration Marker, and you may wish to consider acquiring an International Driving Permit (IDP) if you are a foreign national. Norway is a party to the Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949, meaning that Norwegian citizens can acquire an IDP and use their driver’s license in the United States.

If you are a US resident, you should contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in your state or territory of residence, inquire about temporary license plates, and determine what documents and certifications the DMV requires from CBP to register the vehicle.

If you are a national of a Central or South American country that has ratified the Inter-American Convention of 1943, you may drive your vehicle in the US for touring purposes for one year or for the period of the validity of the documents, whichever is shorter, without US license plates or US driver’s permits, provided the car carries the International Registration Marker and registration card, and the driver has the International Driving Permit.

If you are a motorist visiting the United States as a tourist from a country that has ratified the Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949 (Norway has), you may drive in the US for one year with your own national license plates (registration tags) on your vehicle and with your own personal drivers’ license.

If you are a motorist from Canada or Mexico, you are permitted to tour in the US without US license plates or US driver’s permits, under agreements between the United States and these countries.

If you are a motorist from a country not a party to any of the above agreement, you must secure a driving permit in the US after taking an examination.

If you are a foreign national employed in the US, you may use your foreign license tags from the port of entry to your destination in the US.

This information was updated in September 2018. All information, time frames, pricing, and regulations are subject to change. Please contact a sales representative for the most current rates and information.